Wringer



sept. 2s, 1939. L. GREEN 2,174,496

WRINGER Filed Jan. 2, 1936 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

A T'TORNEYS.

L. GREEN sept. 26, 1939.

WRINGER Filed Jan. 2, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

A TT ORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 26, `1939 UNITED STATES WRINGER Leonard Green,Philadelphia, Pa., assigner to Lovell Manufacturing Company, Erie, Pa.,a corporation of Bennsylvania A, lApplication January `2, 1936, SerialNo. 57,077

l claims:

Power-driven wringers commonly used on' washing machinesspresent averydenite problem with relation to the possibility of the operator gettingher hands caught and drawn into the 5 wringer rolls. The presentinvention isdesigned to improve these structures by providinga'mechanism which immediately operates in response to a pull of theoperator against the inpulling action of the rolls, disengaging thehandfrom the preslO sure bf the rolls, this being specificallyaccomplished, as exempliiied herein, by reversing the rolls in responseto a pull of the operator.l Features and details 'of the invention willappear from the specification and claims.

A preferred embodiment .of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings as iollows: I

Fig. l shows an elevation of a wringer.

Fig. 2 a section on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1.-

Fig. 3 a section on the line'3-3 in Fig. 1. i

Fig. 4 a section on the line 4-4 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 a section on the line 5-5 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 a view of the gear box with the cover removed. The wringer framehas the usual base I, and side stiles 2. The wringer has'rolls 3 and 4,a top bar 5, and a safety release device having a latch 3 and operatingbars 1. These parts are, or 'may be, of usual construction.

The wringer is swingingly supported on a substantially vertical axis sothat at least a portion of the wringer frame and both rolls may be movedbackwardly and forwardly. This is accomplished `by a post 8 which issecured to the base of the 3;, wringer by a block 8a. The post extendsthrough an opening 3 iii-'an armill. A collar 3b issecured on the lowerend of the post and locks it against removal from the opening 9. The armIII is carried by the usual post II which carries the wringer.

The lower roll has the usual drive shaft I2 which is journaled inbearings I3 arranged in the wringer stile. The end 'of the shaft isflattened at lI4 and this operates in a coupling sleeve I5 secured onthe end of a shaft I5. The shaft I3 is journaled inv a block I1. Theblock is secured to the wringer stile at the power end of the wringer bya bracket I3 and bolts I9.

A gear box 20 is mounted on the top of the post II. It has a removablecover 2l at the side -opposite the wringer. The shaft I5 extends througha horizontal slot 22 in the wringer side of the gear box and a gear 23is fixed on the end` of the shaft I6. 'Ihe gear 23 is adapted to meshwith either a gear 24 or a gear 25 as the end of (C1. sap-269) thewringer is swung forward, or back. The gears 24 and 25 are fixed on ashaft,26 which is journaled in bearings 21 in the walls of the gear box.A gear 28 drives the gear 25 and consevquentlyithe gear 24 through theshaft 26. The

gear 28 is fixed on a drive shaft 29 which extends to the source ofpower for driving the wringer in the usual manner. The bearing block hasa guide 30 which is slidingly mounted between the exten- .sions 20a and20h on the gear box. Detents 3| are arranged in the surface of the guideextension 30 and these detents are yieldingly engaged by pawls 32 whichare urged into the detents by springs 33 backed by screws 34, thedetents,

springs and screws being mounted in the extension 20a.

With the wringer set for use the gear 23 meshes with the gear away fromthe operator and the operator feeds the clothes into the wringer withthis setting. Should the operator become caught 5: in the rolls, theinstinctive movement ofthe operator is to pull back, or resist theinpulling action of the rolls and this counter-pull of the operatorpulls the wringer from the forward driving side to the reverse. Thisimmediately starts the rolls in reverse and thus disengages the caughthands of the operator.

The detents 3| are arranged to hold the gear 23 in engagementwithpeither the gear 24, or 25, or permit it to remain in neutral. 'I'hewringer, therefore, may be used from either side, the direction of thegearing driving the wringer forward with the gear 23 in mesh with thegear 24, or 25, away from the operator.

In order that the wringer may be thrown into mesh, for into neutral, ina convenient manner links 35 and 36 are pivotally mounted on a bracket31 on the arm I0. These links extend upwardly, one at each side of thebearing block I1. They are connected by a link 38 at the top and ahandle 39 is provided so that these links may be readily thrown forward,or back, to throw the gear 23 into forward driving'position, reverse, orneutral.

While it is desirable to move the frame suiliciently to reverse therolls, the purpose of the invention may be accomplished in a measure atleast by stopping the forward movement of the rolls by moving the gear23 to the intermediate, or neutral position.

It will be noted that the reversing of the gears effects a relief actionof the wringer-. That is to say the operators hand is automaticallyrelieved of wringer pressure by the reverse movement forcibly removingthe hand. While we have shown i. this specific manner of relief, we donot wish to be limited asto this specic manner of relief unless speciedin the claims. While the invention is exempliied and described as awringer, it is applicable in some respects to devices of a similarreversing the rolls in response .to a movement of the frame.'

2. In a wringer, the combination of a wringer frame; -Wringer rollsmounted in the frame; a. mounting for the frame permitting forward andbackward movement of at least a portion of the frame, each roll beingmoved in the direction of its companion roll and in the direction of theframe with each movement of the frame; a driving means for the rollscomprising a drive shaft' for one of the rolls, a reversing gearmechanism driving said shaft having opposing gears, and an intermediategear rotatively xed with said shaft and movable in response to amovement of the frame into mesh with one or the other oi said gears,reversing the direction of movement of the rolls. l

3. In a wringer, the combination of a wringer frame pivotally mountedatl one end on a substantially vertical axis; wringer rolls mounted in.the frame; drivingmeans for the rolls at an endfJ of the framecomprising a reversingmechanism;

and means controlled by a swinging action of the frame on its axisreversing the mechanism.

4. In a wringer, the combination of a frame; a support for the frame;wringer rolls mounted in the frame, said rolls being provided with rollshafts; an arm extending from the support; a piv- 'otal connectionbetween the ann and the frame;

a gear box on the support; a reversing gear in the gear box havingopposing gears and an intermediate gearreversed by a shift in the meshof the intermediate gear with the opposing gears, the relation of saidgears being shifted by amoveinent of the frame; and shaft for one of therolls of. the wringer connected to said gear mechanism. j

a 5 In a wringer the combination of a frame; wringer rolls mounted inthe '-frame, said rolls being provided with roll shafts;l a support forthe frame; an arm extending from the support; a movable connectionbetween the arm and the frame; a gear box on the support; a gearmechanism having one gear xed as tolocation with relation to the box;and a second gear fixed on 'a shaft of one of the rolls and movable withthe wringer frame into and out of mesh with, the companion gear to stopthe rolls with a movement of the wringer frame.

LEONARD GREEN.

